An Extraordinary Life: Recent Episodes
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"An Extraordinary Life" is a podcast hosted by Dr Scott Bolland and Dr Tim Baker.In this series, we have conversations with some of the world's top performers. What are the secrets of their success and how do they lead a full, rich and valued life? And what can we learn from them to live great and fulfilling life ourselves?
In this episode we speak to Ella Richardson, the author behind the memoir "Cruel."
Ella's journey from childhood marked by abuse, to a life filled with hope and success is nothing short of inspirational.
Please note the following warning - this episode discusses themes including child and animal abuse, so listener discretion is advised.
About the book, Cruel:
A harrowing, yet inspiring true story of a young girl's abusive childhood. [Ella] endured emotional and physical cruelty and molestation at the hands of her mother and her drunken boyfriends. In an environment full of toxic emotions and violence, her survival depended on navigating daily, a safe passage through the basest of human behaviours. An absent, paedophilic father could not be trusted, and her older brother fled, as soon as he was able. Alone, in this domestic battlefield, she faced an unpredictable psychotic mother, regular beatings and torture, all against a backdrop of fear that she would be killed. But throughout she kept alive dreams of escaping. This book covers the early years of her life and is an affecting and inspirational book of the horrors of child abuse and the steadfast determination of one child to survive.
In this episode, we are honoured to welcome Ann Sherry AO, a trailblazing business executive, philanthropist, newly appointed QUT Chancellor, and former CEO of Carnival Australia. With an exceptional career spanning government, banking, and cruise tourism, Ann has broken barriers, revitalised the cruise industry in the region, and paved the way for future generations.
From her beginnings as a radiographer to becoming the First Assistant Secretary of the Office of the Status of Women, and later transitioning to the banking sector as CEO of Bank of Melbourne and Westpac NZ, Ann's journey is nothing short of inspiring. Her numerous accolades, including being named the overall winner of the Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence Award in 2015, and receiving the prestigious Australian honour of Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition of her contributions to the community and the advancement of women in leadership roles, are well-deserved acknowledgments of her significant impact on business and society.
Join us as we delve into Ann Sherry's incredible story, her dedication to empowering others, her transformative tenure at Carnival Australia, and her thoughts on effective leadership and living a full, rich and valued life.
In this episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Ray Weekes who has risen from humble beginnings to become a successful CEO and philanthropist.
Growing up in a single-parent household in Sydney's housing commission, Ray's mother instilled in him the importance of education at a young age.
This belief stayed with him throughout his career, which saw him climb the corporate ladder and hold senior leadership positions in several major companies.
Ray is currently an adjunct professor and CEO in residence at QUT Business School, and also chair of the CEO Institute Queensland, and director and advisor to various companies.
In this podcast, we learn more about Ray's journey and his dedication to supporting the next generation of leaders.
In this episode, we speak with former Commissioner of Queensland Police, Ian Stewart, who has had a remarkable career in policing spanning 45 years.
Ian has seen the best and the worst of human nature.
In his role as commissioner, empathy has played a leading role. For instance, in speaking to new recruits, he'd mention to them that the difference between them and many of the people that they'd need to deal with in their careers lies in one factor - the presence or absence of a supporting and loving family upbringing. So, be kind.
We speak with Ian about his varied experiences across his career, and what lessons they have taught him.
This is a refreshing conversation about the positive role that the police do, can, and should have in our community and our lives.
In this episode we speak with Tim Dwyer. Tim is a brand and growth strategist who believes that everyone has a purpose they want to give to the world. Tim owns and operates Tolemy a brand-led growth agency that educates entrepreneurs and business leaders on how to design, build, and activate a business strategy based on a foundation of core assets aligned with purpose.
In this episode, we speak with Elijah Dillon.
At the age of 48, Elijah, a single parent with a full-time job as a mediator, decided to make a career move into law. To fit in the required study around his work and parental commitments, he spent four years getting up at 2:00 AM and studying throughout the night.
Although he achieved his goal of becoming a solicitor, a visit to the doctor revealed that he had acquired cancer and was given around a year and a half to live. Rather than turning to Western medicine, Elijah headed to the Himalayas and studied meditation under the guidance of an ex-Buddhist monk.
10 years have passed since his diagnosis, and not only is he healthy, he's applied what he's learned through meditation to create a mental calmness. He's applied this mental calmness to climbing Mount Everest, working as a mediator with high-conflict couples, and training for the Boston marathon. Success for Elijah centers around being present in the world without being emotionally swept away by its dramas - a process he calls walking beside the river.
In this episode, we speak with inspector Corey Allen.
For Corey as a child, empathy and kindness were in short supply. When the violence erupted Corey called the police.
In a twist of fate, Corey signed up as a police officer and became the officer in charge of one of Australia's largest and busiest police stations. At the time the police service was in crisis. Bad press, the use of excessive force, and a proliferation of injuries in custody were common.
Corey explored a different approach to policing. Instead of defining success by the number of arrests, using force as the only option, he led with empathy. This new approach was about taking preventative measures that helped steer at-risk lives in a more positive direction.
The results were surprising. Corey helped dramatically reshape the way police work with the homeless and vulnerable leading to an unprecedented reduction in crime in inner-city, Brisbane.
Empathy is also a strong theme in his personal life where Corey and his wife were fostering many children needing emergency care.
This is an inspirational story not to be missed
In this episode, we interview Hayden Tee one of Broadway and West End's brightest stars. We chat to Hayden about his career highlights and what he believes are the secrets to his success. We also talked to Hayden about his personal journey of self-actualization in proudly embracing his identity as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and helping lift as he describes, the colonial cloak of shame, that's been imposed on the Maori culture.
Hayden's also a strong advocate for equity and inclusion. His passion shines through when he explains his interesting perspective on auditioning for his upcoming musical production, Jekyll and Hyde.
These auditions are open to anyone for any role. This potentially broadens the scope for any race, gender identity, and physical ability. We discuss the outcomes of this casting call, the show's record-breaking box-office reception, and what other leaders and employees can learn from this experience.